Delhi gang-rape case: Jayalalithaa for harsher punishment for rape

NEW DELHI: The pressure is growing on the Centre to frame stronger laws against rape. Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa on Tuesday asked the Centre to amend existing laws to provide for death penalty and chemical castration for those convicted of rape.

"The Centre will be requested to amend the laws to ensure the maximum punishment of death penalty and chemical castration for those responsible for rapes. The offence should also be made non-bailable," Jayalalithaa said, expressing her grief over the death of the 23-year-old gang-rape victim in the national capital.

Jayalalithaa also announced a 13-point action plan to ensure safety of women in Tamil Nadu and said that incidents of sexual assault would be treated as a grave crime and probes would be entrusted to top police officials. The chief minister also said that daily hearings would be conducted in all sexual abuse cases in the state for speedy trials at specially constituted fast-track courts and woman prosecutors would be appointed as government counsels.

She also ordered that enquiry in all pending cases of sexual abuse in the state be expedited and a status report be submitted in 15 days. The chief minister announced plans for setting up of a Women Helpline, deploying police personnel in plainclothes at market places and colleges to ensure the safety of women, putting CCTVs in all public buildings to identify those who trouble women, bearing the medical expenses of victims of sexual assault and amending the Goonda Act to bring sexual assault cases under its purview.

"Every effort would be made to ensure that women feel safe and move fearlessly in Tamil Nadu," Jayalalithaa said in Chennai. The National Commission for Women welcomed the steps announced by the Tamil Nadu chief minister and said those would lead to decrease in crime rate.

Meanwhile, the Centre on Tuesday constituted a Special Task Force headed by the Union home secretary to look into the safety issues of women in Delhi and review the functioning of Delhi Police on a fortnightly basis. It will have 12 other top officials of Delhi -- the chief secretary, police commissioner of Delhi, special CP(traffic), special CP (law & order), chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women, chairperson of NDMC, transport commissioner, commissioners of the three municipal corporations, excise commissioner and joint secretary (UT) in the home ministry. Â

"The Task Force may co-opt any such Member/Task Force may deem fit. The Task Force will also take into consideration the suggestions made by the members of Parliament during the debate on the issue. The Task Force shall continuously review action taken by the Delhi Police and Delhi Government," the home ministry said.

The Jammu and Kashmir government also announced plans to bring in changes in the state's laws against sexual offences and gender crimes. Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Sagar Tuesday held a meeting with department's officials to review the laws in the state.

The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to set up state and district-level committees to review progress of all cases of crime against women. Chief minister Virbhadra Singh had ordered the setting up of a state-level committee headed by the chief secretary and district-level committees headed by deputy commissioners to review all such cases of atrocities on women and action taken by authorities, news agencies reported from Shimla quoting an unnamed government official.

The state committee will meet quarterly while the district panels will meet every month. Police have also been asked to post at least one woman constable at every police station and police post.